Presently used in filtration systems, where particulate removal in the range of 99.5% or more of particulates of a size of 0.5 .mu.m to 0.8 .mu.m, are ceramic candle filters. Such ceramic filters are primarily designed for high temperature applications. However, due to the unavailability of suitable lower cost filters which would still provide the aforesaid degree of sub-micron particulate removal, such ceramic filters have also been employed for filtration or purification processes even when high temperatures are not required, such as at room temperature processes for purification of water. Such use of ceramic filters, when their high temperature properties are not required, results in a greatly increased filtration or purification cost due to the costly nature of such ceramic filters.
Although activated carbon filters have been known and used in water purification processes, it has not heretofore been possible to achieve the aforesaid level of particulate removal employing known activated carbon filters.
It would therefore be desirable that a highly effective thin-walled activated carbon filter be available for use in low temperature filtration and purification processes to replace the unduly expensive ceramic filter units now employed to obtain 99.5% or more removal of particulates of a size of 0.5 .mu.m to 0.8 .mu.m.